Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 162 / Wednesday, August 23, 2023 / Notices 57409 

1The World Organization for Animal Health 

internationally follows a British English spelling of 

‘‘organisation’ in its name; also, it was formerly the 

Office International des Epizooties, or OIE, but on 

May 28, 2022, the Organization announced that the 

acronym was changed from OIE to WOAH. 

Services, Regionalization Evaluation 

Services, 920 Main Campus Drive, Suite 

300, Raleigh, NC 27606; phone: (301) 

550–1671; email: AskRegionalization@

usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

regulations in 9 CFR part 94 (referred to 

below as the regulations) govern the 

importation of certain animals and 

animal products into the United States 

to prevent the introduction of various 

animal diseases, including Newcastle 

disease and highly pathogenic avian 

influenza (HPAI). The regulations 

prohibit or restrict the importation of 

live poultry, poultry meat, and other 

poultry products from regions where 

these diseases are considered to exist. 

Section 94.6 of the regulations 

contains requirements governing the 

importation into the United States of 

carcasses, meat, parts or products of 

carcasses, and eggs (other than hatching 

eggs) of poultry, game birds, or other 

birds from regions of the world where 

HPAI exists or is reasonably believed to 

exist. HPAI is an extremely infectious 

and potentially fatal form of avian 

influenza in birds and poultry that, once 

established, can spread rapidly from 

flock to flock. The Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 

maintains a list of restricted regions it 

considers affected with HPAI of any 

subtype on the APHIS website at 

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ 

ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-andanimal-product-import-information/ 

animal-health-status-of-regions. 

APHIS receives notice of HPAI 

outbreaks from veterinary officials of the 

exporting country, from the World 

Organization for Animal Health 

(WOAH),1 or from other sources the 

Administrator determines to be reliable. 

On November 28, 2022, the veterinary 

authorities of the Republic of Ecuador 

reported to the WOAH the occurrence of 

HPAI in that country. On December 3, 

2022, after confirming that HPAI 

occurred in commercial birds and 

poultry, APHIS added the Republic of 

Ecuador to the list of regions where 

HPAI exists. On that same day, APHIS 

issued an import alert notifying 

stakeholders that APHIS imposed 

import restrictions on poultry, 

commercial birds, ratites, avian 

hatching eggs, unprocessed avian 

products and byproducts, and certain 

fresh poultry commodities from the 

Republic of Ecuador to mitigate risk of 

HPAI introduction into the United 

States. 

On December 2, 2022, the veterinary 

authorities of the Republic of Peru 

reported to the WOAH the occurrence of 

HPAI in that country. On December 12, 

2022, after confirming that the HPAI 

occurred in commercial birds or 

poultry, APHIS added the Republic of 

Peru to the list of regions where HPAI 

exists. On that same day, APHIS issued 

an import alert notifying stakeholders 

that APHIS imposed import restrictions 

on poultry, commercial birds, ratites, 

avian hatching eggs, unprocessed avian 

products and byproducts, and certain 

fresh poultry commodities from the 

Republic of Peru to mitigate risk of 

HPAI introduction into the United 

States. 

With the publication of this notice, 

we are informing the public that we 

added: The Republic of Ecuador to the 

list of regions APHIS considers affected 

with HPAI of any subtype, effective 

December 3, 2022; and the Republic of 

Peru to the list of regions APHIS 

considers affected with HPAI of any 

subtype, effective December 12, 2022. 

This notice serves as an official record 

and public notification of these actions. 

Congressional Review Act 

Pursuant to the Congressional Review 

Act (5 U.S.C. 801 et seq.), the Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs 

designated this action as not a major 

rule, as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2). 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1633, 7701–7772, 

7781–7786, and 8301–8317; 21 U.S.C. 

136 and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 

2.22, 2.80, and 371.4. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 15th day of 

August 2023. 

Michael Watson, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–18073 Filed 8–22–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2022–0038] 

Notice of Availability of a Pest Risk 

Analysis for the Importation of Fresh 

Table Beet Root (Beta vulgaris L.) for 

Consumption From the United 

Kingdom Into the Continental United 

States, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the 

U.S. Virgin Islands 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public 

that we have prepared a pest risk 

analysis that evaluates the risks 

associated with importation of fresh 

table beet root (Beta vulgaris L.) for 

consumption from the United Kingdom 

into the continental United States, 

Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin 

Islands. Based on the analysis, we have 

determined that the application of one 

or more designated phytosanitary 

measures will be sufficient to mitigate 

the risks of introducing or disseminating 

plant pests or noxious weeds via the 

importation of fresh table beet root from 

the United Kingdom. We are making the 

pest risk analysis available to the public 

for review and comment. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before October 23, 

2023. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

www.regulations.gov. Enter APHIS– 

2022–0038 in the Search field. Select 

the Documents tab, then select the 

Comment button in the list of 

documents. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2022–0038, Regulatory Analysis 

and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 

3A–03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. 

Supporting documents and any 

comments we receive on this docket 

may be viewed at www.regulations.gov 

or in our reading room, which is located 

in room 1620 of the USDA South 

Building, 14th Street and Independence 

Avenue SW, Washington, DC. Normal 

reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 

p.m., Monday through Friday, except 

holidays. To be sure someone is there to 

help you, please call (202) 799–7039 

before coming. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Claudia Ferguson, Senior Regulatory 

Policy Specialist, Regulatory 

Coordination and Compliance, PPQ, 

APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 133, 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1231; (301) 851– 

2352; Claudia.Ferguson@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Under the regulations in ‘‘Subpart L– 

Fruits and Vegetables’’ (7 CFR 319.56– 

1 through 319.56–12, referred to below 

as the regulations), the Animal and 

Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 

prohibits or restricts the importation of 

fruits and vegetables into the United 

States from certain parts of the world to 

prevent plant pests from being 

introduced into or disseminated within 

the United States. 


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57410 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 162 / Wednesday, August 23, 2023 / Notices 

Section 319.56–4 contains a 

performance-based process for 

approving the importation of fruits and 

vegetables that, based on the findings of 

a pest risk analysis, can be safely 

imported subject to one or more of the 

five designated phytosanitary measures 

listed in paragraph (b) of that section. 

APHIS received a request from the 

national plant protection organization 

(NPPO) of the United Kingdom to allow 

the importation of fresh table beet root 

(Beta vulgaris L.) for consumption from 

the United Kingdom into the 

continental United States, Hawaii, 

Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

As part of our evaluation of the United 

Kingdom’s request, we have prepared a 

pest risk assessment to identify the pests 

of quarantine significance that could 

follow the pathway of the importation of 

fresh table beet root for consumption 

into the United States and specified 

territories from the United Kingdom. 

Based on the pest risk assessment, a risk 

management document (RMD) was 

prepared to identify phytosanitary 

measures that could be applied to fresh 

table beet root to mitigate the pest risk. 

Therefore, in accordance with 

§ 319.56–4(c), we are announcing the 

availability of our pest risk assessment 

and RMD for public review and 

comment. Those documents, as well as 

a description of the economic 

considerations associated with the 

importation of fresh table beet root from 

the United Kingdom, may be viewed on 

the Regulations.gov website or in our 

reading room (see ADDRESSES above for 

a link to Regulations.gov and 

information on the location and hours of 

the reading room). You may request 

paper copies of the pest risk assessment 

and RMD by calling or writing to the 

person listed under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT. Please refer to the 

subject of the analysis you wish to 

review when requesting copies. 

After reviewing any comments we 

receive, we will announce our decision 

regarding the import status of fresh table 

beet root from the United Kingdom in a 

subsequent notice. If the overall 

conclusions of our analysis and the 

Administrator’s determination of risk 

remain unchanged following our 

consideration of the comments, then we 

will authorize the importation of fresh 

table beet root (Beta vulgaris L.) for 

consumption from the United Kingdom 

into the ccontinental United States, 

Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin 

Islands subject to the requirements 

specified in the RMD. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1633, 7701–7772, 

and 7781–7786; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 

7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 17th day of 

August 2023. 

Michael Watson, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–18111 Filed 8–22–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

[Docket No. RUS–23–ELECTRIC–0011] 

60-Day Notice of Proposed Information 

Collection: RUS Specification for 

Quality Control and Inspection of 

Timber Products; OMB Control No.: 

0572–0076 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice; request for comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 

United States Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS or 

Agency) announces its’ intention to 

request an extension of a currently 

approved information collection and 

invites comments on this information 

collection. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by October 23, 2023 to be 

assured of consideration. 

ADDRESSES: Comments may be 

submitted by the Federal eRulemaking 

Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov 

and, in the ‘‘Search Field’’ box, labeled 

‘‘Search for dockets and documents on 

agency actions,’’ enter the following 

docket number: (RUS–23–ELECTRIC– 

0011). To submit or view public 

comments, click the ‘‘Search’’ button, 

select the ‘‘Documents’’ tab, then select 

the following document title: ‘‘RUS 

Specification for Quality Control and 

Inspection of Timber Products’’ from the 

‘‘Search Results,’’ and select the 

‘‘Comment’’ button. Before inputting 

your comments, you may also review 

the ‘‘Commenter’s Checklist’’ (optional). 

Insert your comments under the 

‘‘Comment’’ title, click ‘‘Browse’’ to 

attach files (if available). Input your 

email address and select ‘‘Submit 

Comment.’’ Information on using 

Regulations.gov, including instructions 

for accessing documents, submitting 

comments, and viewing the docket after 

the close of the comment period, is 

available through the site’s ‘‘FAQ’’ link. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kimble Brown, Rural Development 

Innovation Center—Regulations 

Management Division, USDA, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, Room 4227, 

South Building, Washington, DC 20250– 

1522. Telephone: (202) 720–6780. Email 

kimble.brown@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office 

of Management and Budget’s (OMB) 

regulation (5 CFR part 1320) 

implementing provisions of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. 

L. 104–13) requires that interested 

members of the public and affected 

agencies have an opportunity to 

comment on information collection and 

recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 

1320.8(d)). This notice identifies the 

following information collection that 

RHS is submitting to OMB as an 

extension to an existing collection with 

Agency adjustment. 

Title: RUS Specification for Quality 

Control and Inspection of Timber 

Products. 

OMB Control Number: 0572–0076. 

Expiration Date of Approval: February 

29, 2024. 

Type of Request: Extension of a 

currently approved collection. 

Estimate of Burden: This collection of 

information is estimated to average 1.01 

hour per response. 

Respondents: Not-for-profit 

institutions; Business or other for profit. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

25. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 800. 

Estimated Total Number of 

Responses: 20,000. 

Estimated Annual Reporting Burden 

on Respondents: 20,000 hours. 

Estimated Annual Recordkeeping 

Burden on Respondents: 333.25 hours. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 20,333.25 hours. 

Abstract: RUS Bulletin 1728H–702 

and 7 CFR 1728.202 describe the 

responsibilities and procedures 

pertaining to the quality control by 

producers and pertaining to inspection 

of timber products produced in 

accordance with RUS specifications. To 

ensure the security of loan funds, 

adequate quality control of timber 

products is vital to loan security on 

electric power systems where hundreds 

of thousands of wood poles and crossarms are used. Since RUS and its 

borrowers do not have the expertise or 

manpower to quickly determine 

imperfections in the wood products or 

their preservatives treatments, they 

must obtain service of an inspection 

agency to ensure that the specifications 

for wood poles and cross-arms are being 

met. Copies of test reports on various 

preservatives must accompany each 

load of poles treated at the same time in 

a pressure cylinder (charge) as required 

by 7 CFR 1728.202(i). RUS feels the 

importance of safety concerns are 


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